


Every New Beginning

by angels_with_horns



Category: Darkest Powers - Kelley Armstrong
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-02-19 21:57:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2404322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angels_with_horns/pseuds/angels_with_horns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gang has been on the run from the Edison Group for about a year now, in that time they have saved countless children and teens from being experimented on or killed. But, when a high level mission goes wrong they are forced to go into hiding in a safe house and are soon joined by curious supernaturals. The question on everyone's mind is can they be trusted? Chloe and Derek are mates, new characters are introduced, and Lauren is dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Every New Beginning 1

Chapt 1 

Chloe POv 

 

All of us are making the hike to the next safe house. After events that took place before we realized that we cannot stay in one place for too long nor can we trust who helps us. We only have each other, and this has strengthened most of our bonds.

It has been almost eight months since Aunt Lauren died, and a year since I went to Lyle House. Lauren was taken prisoner by the Cabal while she was working undercover at one of the “hospitals” before she died we were able to hack some of their main computers to find where they were keeping the other kids. So far we have been able to save over twenty kids from being experimented on or “transferred.”

Her ghost came to say goodbye one night while we were all camping outside. I heard someone out in the woods calling my name, thinking it was Liz coming to us with new information on Aunt Lauren I didn't take anyone with me, translating everything can get very tiresome.

As I got closer to the noise I realized that this was not Liz, instantly I went in the defensive position that Derek taught me and looked for the closest weapon. which happened to be a branch the size of my arm. Holding it like a bat I commanded the spirit or creature to show itself. From behind a tree I saw someone starting to walk away, but I recognized the businesslike and natural posture.

 

 

“Aunt Lauren,” I breathed. Now that I am reflecting on it I should have seen what was going to come next. However, at that moment in time nothing else mattered in the world than being in her arms. I had missed her so much while she was away, I wanted to feel her ever persistent hands smooth my hair. I ran toward her blindly with tears misting in my eyes, preventing me from noticing the crooked root sticking out from the ground. I lost my footing and I could see her reach out to catch me but instead my whole body just kept falling, right through her hand like it wasn’t there. I sucked in a harsh breath when I fell, I spent a moment lying there on the ground, not fully comprehending what happened. Slowly, painfully, I raised my eyes to the ghost of my aunt. 

She chuckled darkly and without the warmth that it usually had.

“Well I guess that’s just a cruel metaphor on what my help has done around here, absolutely nothing.” I couldn't breathe, I couldn’t raise my body from the ground so I didn’t move. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't true that we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all the things she’s done. I tried to tell her about the children that we saved, and how they all were so grateful to her. But she wouldn't let me.

“Chloe dear, I only have a few moments left, please let your poor aunt say her last words.” Her voice was fading like someone was turning down the volume on a television set. I didn't say another word, I wanted to hear my aunt speak. I also knew that after this encounter I would never be able to contact her again for necromancers are forbidden to summon close family members. I clutched my pendant ready to rip it off if my aunt became too strained to speak from the other side.

“No honey, don’t take it off, it’s too dangerous right now, too open.” If these were different circumstances I would have scoffed at the fact that she was still trying to treat me like ‘little Chloe’ the girl who couldn't tie her own shoes, but this was not the case. I let the necklace fall from my fingers and left it to drop to my chest. She smiled sadly and continued. The air felt ice cold and hurt as I gulped down the air. "I tried so hard to be inconspicuous, I died my hair, changed my name, I thought I earned their trust, but I was wrong." She took a moment and then continued. "They found me trying to hack into one of the main computers for Tori, and they shot me." I couldn't handle it, standing in front of me was not the woman I had grown up with, suddenly her face transformed into one gory mess. Blood fell from a hole in her head, I could see fragments from her skull everywhere. I couldn't take it, I ran over to bush and threw up what little food was left in my stomach. My throat burned and my eyes were so misted I had to blink a couple times to be able to find my aunt again. Or maybe she was actually fading into the other side, it's hard to tell, memories of that night are a bit fuzzy. 

"I'm so sorry Aunt Lauren! I knew it was too dangerous we shouldn't have let you-" She cut me off with a screech that was hardly human, and it terrified me. I didn't speak again, so she went on with her mad raving.  

“I don't have powers like you or the others, but I know that even with them I would not be using them the best of my abilities like you have this past month.” She sighed and I noticed she was looking brighter and it was getting harder to see her clearly. I desperately wanted to try to pull her back just a tad but she might become offended and leave me, forever. Suddenly, instead of the white heavenly glow surrounding her it became a dirtier cream and then an amber color that made her look, well decayed. This isn't what I wanted as the last look as my aunt so I tried to remember us before all this supernatural stuff started when we could just hang out together. But, I couldn't, I remembered that she knew about it then, the powers and the experiments. That wasn't Lauren and this isn't her now. I suddenly was brought back to the same emotions I felt when my mom died. Everything felt fake, I couldn’t remember what was real. I couldn’t remember who was dead and who was alive. 

With a crippled breath I whispered, “Mommy.”

“I could've done so much more!” She was in hysterics, screaming the same phrase over and over. Her blonde hair whipping in the air like it was alive and her blouse billowing across her body in some unnoticed wind. Her eyes were the worst of all they stared into the sky without blinking, never would I have thought someone so gentle and life could look so feral in death. Right when I thought I would go mad form the scene she was gone, but her voice was still there, in the trees, in the air and even in my head. Images flashed inside my head, snapshots of Aunt Lauren with her skin peeled off, my mother, face gone, my father being tortured. I saw Liz being dragged out of my room. She was screaming, no, was I screaming? 

“Don’t take her.” I croaked.

I sat in that forest leaning against the root that betrayed me an eternity ago until Derek found me at dawn the next day. He said I didn't raise anything, but how could I not have the only thing that filled my head that night was death and evil crawling up my back and burrowing like a knife into my chest. Is that what going mad feels like?

Looking up from my horrid memories I notice a certain werewolf staring at me, and it wasn't Derek.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 Chloe POv

Every New Beginning

Chapt 2

            It was his newly found sister, Hilly. While Tori was hacking in one of the master computers for the Edison Group, she came across an article about Derek's biological family. To put it shortly, his parents were killed by a rouge pack of wolves and a friend of the families found two orphaned children. A boy and a girl, the boy at the age of 4 and the girl just six months. The man not knowing what to do took them to the nearest hospital. Of course this "hospital" was another Edison Group Headquarters and it did not take long for them to realize that these children belonged with them.

           They kept the siblings in separate rooms for fear of them fighting. Although, that was an impossible thought, for the young boy took so much care to his baby sister it was questioned if he, in fact, was a mere child himself. Sadly, not long after the brother was forced to forget his own blood. It was time to become part of a pack. Derek, however, would not join the other werewolf children in there initiation rituals, and became an outcast, he could not be happy without his sister. Not long after a certain warlock broke into the headquarters and saved the little boy to raise as his own son. If he had known there was a baby girl that needed saving he would have picked her up too, but at the time he was only worried about Derek.

           It would be another fourteen years until he sees his sister. But now we are all together and so far things are good. When we broke her out she had been too skinny and could barely walk on her own but Derek was more than willing to carry her out. Hilly did not know how to feel about us at first because she was experimented on so much in her short life that meeting and trusting new people was hardly a stroll in the park. But with time she has become part of the family, and I personally already thought of her as my sister, and Tori has done the same.

       

          Now, back to the fact that she was staring at me.

          "Hey, earth to Chlo. You alright? You've had this unfocused look on your face for the past like thirty minutes." She asked concerned, just like her brother she looked out for her pack even though she's barely met us. There were other things that reminded me of Derek also. She was very tall and built, with long raven hair that reached mid-back. It was the eyes though that made me see her brother the most, they were forest green that were always the perfect shade. She pulled her jacket closer to her as a breeze blew by, I did the same with the jacket that Derek had gave me when we first escaped the awful Lyle House.

        "Chloe, is it your aunt again?" That was Derek as he came up behind me and put an arm around my waist. He was referring to my daydreams and nightmares that have been constantly attacking my mind. Sometimes they find me in a state so far off they cannot get my attention for hours. These were mostly on my bad days, not only would I be haunted by my past, but perhaps also creature that reanimated because of my heightened emotions. 

         "N-n-oo," I tried to force out, but my stutter showed quite plain that I was lying. Taking a breath I tried again, "Ok earlier I might have been but just then I was thinking of when we first met Hilly." I smiled up at Derek who was beaming down on me with one of those rare smiles that he seemed to only share with me. I found out I was his mate after we went out for half a year, I knew at this point that I was going to be with him for as long as I could so I readily accepted when he asked. Later on I found out what could've happened if I declined.

         Apparently, if a werewolf is rejected by their mate they must kill themselves out of shame. I still shudder about what could've happened if I had said, “No." Even though I know that I would have said yes in any circumstance because I was totally and obviously head over heels for this dark-haired, grumpy boy. He unhooked his hand from my waist and reached down to grab my hand as we caught up with the rest of the group. Tori noticed that we had lagged behind and rolled her eyes, she has been in a mood since we woke up at the crack of dawn. For the first hour she would not stop complaining, but then Derek told her to shut up and she was too exhausted to continue. 

        Speaking of sibling banter, her and Simon have got along just fine ever since they found out they were half- siblings. Kit was there father, and acted like it, he revealed the news one night while being closely chased by a small pack of the Cabal. We were hiding in a very tight cave and all thought this would be the end for us. So Kit, thinking it was his last chance, blurted it out taking them both from surprise. Simon, in some respects, took it a bit better than Tori had.Derek had to hold her down with a hand over her mouth for almost an hour so her screams of anger and fireballs would not give away our hiding place. After her slight meltdown, she took the news with grace and accepted Simon as her half-brother and Kit as her father. ‘I hated being an orphan anyway.’ she said, with unmistakeable tears in her eyes, before giving her dad a giant bear hug. 

It was a touching moment, it definitely brought us more together as a family. Simon and Tori still fought, but now it felt more good natured, healthy even. Derek trusted his new sister a bit more, and Hilly accepted it right away, that’s what sets her apart from her brother. Of course, since I knew before everyone else, it took a lot less time for me to get used to it. Anyway, now that we are basically one big happy, healthy, and supernaturally gifted family, we all agree that we shouldn’t keep any secrets like that from each other. 

Then, without warning, Hilly and Derek’s heads shot up and their noses flared, before I asked what was wrong I got the familiar tug at the back of my head. I was really strong and really close, as I was trying to piece together where the spirit or more likely spirits were exactly Derek leaned toward my ears and said there was a cemetery a little ways off the path. 

        “Will that be ok for you?” Derek asked. I haven't risen a human a human in months but critters were a different story, just last night a zombie raccoon tried to climb unto my face. I managed to ask it to back off before Derek woke up, but when he felt he shift away from him. I’ve definitely been able to control my powers better, because in only two minutes and a few reassuring words from Derek I released the animals spirit. Then we got up and buried it a few yards away from camp. 

     "I guess, I mean, it might be close now but maybe when we get to the house it will be miles away.” This put him a bit at ease, and soon the pull became just a small sensation, in maybe a mile it would be gone. I wrapped my small hands around my necklace, the ribbon might be a little frayed but I'm sure  can find a substitute once we get to the house. I felt the cold gem pulse a bit lightly from all the energy in the air from the possible spirits wanting to chat, but I didn't have the time, so I just focused on my breathing. For a bit we stayed in silence, and I tried to ignore the worry of what our new house will be like, and if we will truly be safe there. Kit is convinced that if we wait long enough and lay low the cabal and the Edison Group will forget about those darn supernatural kids. Move on to greater worries than just a couple teenagers that are trying to break other supernaturals out of their imprisonment. Yeah, I don’t think any amount of waiting will make them stop looking for us. 

"Alright everyone, look alive the house should just be around these trees." Kit was saying as he navigated us around the specific trees, and what we saw was definitely a sight we would not soon forget. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Every New Beginning

Chapt 3

Chloe POV

 

The house that was standing proudly in front of us seemed one that came from a fairy tale.With a tall tower and stone walls with ivy growing all over. I could see cracks in some of the stones so we could count on lots of drafts. _Good thing we made sure to pack extra blankets,_ I thought. The ivy disguised the whole structure in a type of camouflage,no wonder we couldn’t see it from the path. It’s amazing what incredible things are hidden in rural New York. I looked over at Tori and smiled, she looked happy but then her smile faded. I then realized there was probably no internet connection here, no computer for Tori. I was about to talk to her when a pair of strong hands grabbed me from behind. 

 

Derek spun me around, in a way he thinks is romantic, and caught my mouth in a kiss. Jokingly I pushed him away and whispered for him to wait until we were inside, it was freezing out here. So he released me, reluctantly, but kept a hand around my waist. Derek and I haven’t been apart for anything longer than a night in almost six months. But I’m not complaining, I don’t think I could bare being apart, not that he could either. Werewolves have a tendency to be over protective and get anxious when they are without their mate. 

 

Everyone stayed pretty silent as we gazed at our new home, but then it kind of struck us that we could be sitting ducks for anyone following us. So Kit told us to rush inside and pick our rooms while he did some major protection spells on the house. Tori and Simon both offered to help but he told them he could handle it, though before they left he spoke not at all to himself, 

 

“I wonder who’s going to get that huge master bedroom with the window looking over theabandoned, rundown, and _very creepy_ town.” Without so much as a breath later Tori and Simon were crawling over each other up the stairs to find this amazing bedroom. I knew that Simon wanted the view because he has been very interested in drawing landscapes lately. He told me that a true artist first perfects his background and then moves on to his foreground. I said whatever floats his boat because from what I knew from film classes it was all the big picture. Then, of course Tori would want the room so she could torture Simon over it every day. Oh won’t that be fun.

I set my bag down on the huge couch and looked at what had to be the sitting room. There was wood side tables on each edge of the sofa and a coffee table right in front of it. Although the main attraction in the room had to be the fireplace, it was unlike any I had ever seen. This one wasn't like the gas one that I had in my old house but was huge and was holding a large cauldron. The cauldron looked ancient and beautiful. I felt like if I ever wanted to direct a movie later in life I would have to use it as a prop. But thinking of more present matters I thought maybe Tori or Simon could practice their potions in there.Kit had bought them each a beginners book of spells and supplies that would’ve made Harry Potter himself jealous. Speaking of which Simon’s birthday was last month and we all got him little gifts that we could afford. Derek and I put our money together to get him some new sketching pencils and paper, while Tori being her usual smart-ass self got him a costume wizard hat with stars and moons and some glasses to go along. The round ones just like the famous wizard fore mentioned, as always this caused a huge fight that resulted in Tori losing her computer for two weeks. 

 

Hilly and Derek were off in the kitchens looking for something to calm their hungry stomachs. I felt terrible seeing them so hungry but we ran out of food after dinner last night. They told us it was no big deal and they could hold out for awhile; but Derek’s growling stomach kept me up half the night. Forgetting that, I started to head up the spiral stairs when a depressed looking Simon made his way down. 

“Aw, sorry you didn't get the room Simon.” He looked at me and said,

 

“I would've won if she hadn't bewitched my shoes to become extra sticky,” He paused and I really tried to hold in my laughter but my face could show it clearly. Trying to regain himself from the embarrassment he shout back hotly, “I got her back though, I cursed her door to slam every night at three in the morning.” He beamed at me but I didn't return he smile instead I burst out laughing which made Simon really confused… until he turned around. 

Tori was just a few steps above us and had heard everything. We both knew it from the look on her face. She looked like a cat who just found a big old juicy mouse. 

 

“Oh Simon, are you really going to spread around the rumor that I would cheat!” She clucked her tongue and scrunched up her face to make it seem as if she were hurt. “But thank you for telling me about MY door I’ll be sure to fix that after dinner.” She winked and brushed pass us on the stairs. But when I say brushed though I mean she nearly knocked Simon over the banister and only slightly jostled me. 

Just then Kit came in looking exhausted, but brightened up when he saw us all standing there. All of us have noticed how much strain Kit has put on himself lately, and so far Derek is the only one to get him to slow down. Derek tries to take up some of the work in the house, like carrying bags, finding the food, and being the security and things. But the most draining things fall on Kit’s shoulders, I wish he knew how much I wanted to help. Sadly, my powers weren’t really good for much besides causing a distraction. 

 

“Ok,” he exclaimed clapping his hands together, “Who’s ready for supper.” 

Hilly and Derek than ran into the room shouting “US!” 

I guess they couldn't find anything in the pantry. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Every New Beginning  
Chapt 4  
Chloe POV

 

By law of magic, a witch or wizard is not allowed to conjure up food unless they are dying. Although, for some odd reason wizards in the past have been able to find a way around that rule in creating a spell to make s'more's appear out of nothing.

  
Legend has it that the wife of the inventor refused to allow him to eat marshmallows because of their use of child witch labor. This was his way of avoiding her wrath when he wanted a yummy delightful treat. Personally, I’m not really a big s’more person I was glad to have something in my belly. Eating a few in front of the large fireplace, Simon did a quick fire spell to give light on our sweet dinner. I suddenly thought of Rae, who we noticed on the website under the column, missing. I still believe that her and her mother are out their safe and no longer have to worry about the Edison Group. It’s pretty far fetched I know, but I need a little hope in my wild life.

  
Kit was busy talking with Tori about a theoretic charm one could put on a computer so it could access internet without wifi. Derek and I knew that it was just a ploy to get Tori to study her magic more thoroughly, that there was no such charm. I giggled at Tori’s excited face as she rushed upstairs to get her magic book and laptop. Kit made her stop though, he said she couldn’t go to her room until she finished her dinner. She sighed, she hates calorie filled goodies, but we haven't eaten much this whole month so I guess she believes she earned it. Tori is still one of the most beautiful people I know. She recently shaved off all of her hair and dyed a bit of it blue. She looks like some punk witch from the future, Simon has been using her as a model for a new comic he’s writing. I also promised her one day when I become a director I would cast her as some type of heroine.

  
Tori has also been begging me to let her give her a makeover. Ever since she changed her whole look she’s been fixated on my ‘ruined’ appearance. She still hasn’t forgiven Derek even though he apologized so many times. I said I wouldn’t mind a hair cut or some piercings. Derek thought it would be hot for me to get a belly button ring, but Kit voted against it. He was afraid it would get infected, he’s like Aunt Lauren in that way.

  
I took in my surroundings, Derek and Hilly hate chocolate because it affects their part canine stomachs, so they settled with only the graham and marshmallow. Even with the lack of candy they both ate handfuls at a time, Derek got a bit on the side of his mouth and before he could push me away I gave him a kiss. He quickly grabbed me around the waist and whispered into my ear.

  
“I think you might have missed a spot, Chloe.” His voice was low and sexy, I liked the way it made my spine tingle. His hair tickled the side of my face as his mouth came closer to my lips. He placed his hand on my back and pulled me just a little closer to him. I swear we weren't even kissing that much when Tori exclaimed,

  
“Ok, that’s more sweet than I can handle for tonight, I’m going upstairs to my suite- I mean room.” With a wink at Simon and a little wave at the rest of us she went up to her room. I thought Simon might say something fresh back to her but he didn’t.

  
In fact, Simon stayed quiet all during dinner, I hope that Tori’s remark didn't bother him too much. I know that Tori might not show it but she cares for Simon a lot. Maybe tomorrow if he still is upset I’ll make sure he understands. Come to think of it Hilly has been pretty silent also, stealing a glance beside Derek I noticed her staring rather intently at Simon. Maybe she realized that Simon wasn’t acting like himself just like I had.

  
Suddenly, she quickly put down her possibly 15th s’more and explained that she was no longer hungry and going to bed. This surprised all of us, most of all Derek who also had the stomach of a teenage werewolf. She told us that she was getting a stomach ache from all the sugar and thought it would be best for her if she laid down. We all let her go as she slowly made her way to the top floor.

  
It was time for bed ourselves after a long day of traveling, Kit said he would get up early and food shop and told us all to be ready for the guests that were to arrive tomorrow. We’ve been expecting the new supernaturals for weeks now and are just now getting to meet them. They were supposed to meet us at our last safe house, but obviously that wouldn’t work. So we are left with them seeing us here. Derek was the oat stressed out about it, but I was excited, I loved the thought of having some new faces in our family. I could tell Kit was nervous about letting them join us, but he wasn’t one to turn his back on teenagers in search of help.

  
After deciding where we would all be sleeping for the night Derek and I thought it was best if we share, mates get anxious without their mates close-by. In the forests we always shared a blanket and if he had to change into a wolf, I used him as a pillow. I was also the one to calm him down during his changes, they get better and better every time, but they are still very painful for him. Derek also is my rock when it comes to keeping my nightmares at bay. We honestly need each other, and the nighttime did not lessen that fact.

  
Kit thought it was fine we slept together which I was relieved about, he knew that his son could be trusted,

  
“He’s not exactly a normal hormone crazed teenage boy.” he would say, and I would always reply,

  
“He’s only a normal hormone crazed werewolf.”


	5. Chapter 5

Every New Beginning  
Chapt 5  
Tori POV

AN: Please note that the following chapter is in TORI’S point of view, also if I’m planning things right the next chapter will be Derek’s and after that Hilly’s. It will show more of who our characters our in this story.

I was so glad to have my own room, this has got to be the first safe-house where I haven't had to share with either Chloe or Hilly. Not that I don’t enjoy their company of course it’s just that I tend to like my privacy. They’re my sisters, but gosh can they be so annoying, I wish they could act more mature. Chloe was almost sixteen and still acted like a child, Hilly on the other hand was only fourteen so it wasn’t like I could talk to her like an adult. However, she never really talks to me, only to Derek and Chloe, they are apparently her ‘pack.’ I don’t say anything, but I know that Simon has felt left out lately with Derek having a sister and a girlfriend. He seems to forget that he also gained a sister these last few months, but I digress. If I’m being totally honest I feel a bit lonely sometimes myself, before Hilly got here Chloe and I were the girl dream team. You know, kicking ass and taking names, now she has her mutt boyfriend and her new BFF. But I’m not jealous of course.

  
Anyway, Kit wasn't lying, this room is magnificent, I can look at the whole forest outside the large window. There was even a bit of roof where I could sit and get some peace. Before unpacking I got to work on a silencing charm around the walls and door. With two super enhanced werewolves living with us, one could never be too careful.

  
I made a mental note to do the same to Chloe and Derek’s room for two really good reasons. One, Chloe has been getting some really awful nightmares since her aunt died trying to get information, and two, no one wants to hear them making out, or worse, in the middle of the night. Eh, screw it I’ll just put a silencing charm on every room, who cares?

  
Looking around the expansive room I only saw one downside to this place, is it was old. I would not be able to get a wifi signal in this stone palace, how was I supposed to live? I groaned and took my laptop out of my computer bag that hung at my side and placed it lightly in the wooden side table’s drawer. I made a mental promise that I would have to figure out someway to make it useful. I thought maybe Chloe could use it to write some scripts on it. She’s been using some of Simon’s notebooks behind his back. I knew if she just asked for them Simon would gladly hand them over to her, but I guess she thought that would be asking to much of him. Such a child.

  
I picked up my actual travel bag and set it on the queen bed, the comforter was down with designs of birds on them. I bewitched my clothes back to their original size and set them nice and folded into my drawers. Simon, Dad and I all but a spell on our belongings to make them small so we could fit them in one bag each. Ingenious, right? Plus they looked so adorable all tiny, I felt like I was a child again dressing up dolls. Not that I ever did those girly things of course, ok I’ll admit to having one barbie, but that’s it.

  
Just as I was closing the last drawer there was a knock on my door.

  
“It’s open,” I answered.

  
“Hey, can we talk?” Turning around I realized with a start it was Hilly. She’s usually so closed off to me so I was shocked she wanted to confide in me.

  
“Yea, of course! Uhhh, here why don’t you sit down.” I stammered as I tried to clear my bed a quickly as I could. This was my first chance I could prove that I was a good big sister, I have to make this good. “So, um what was it you, like, want to talk about?”  
When she sat down I realized that she was shaking, shaking horribly, like she drank ten expresso’s. She wouldn’t look me in the eye and was scratching her arm, hard enough to leave red lines trancing down to her hands and up to her thin shoulders. This was a trait that seemed to be shared between both of the Souza’s.

  
“Hilly, you know you can tell me anything, and I promise I won’t tell dad if it’s something bad.” I wanted to put my arm around her and comfort her, but she looked like any movement on my part would send her running. So I stayed still, waiting for the werewolf to spill her secrets.

  
She took a long, slow deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, her voice was weak and she had a very quiet whisper.  
“I think-“ She was cut off by the door opening revealing Chloe coming in with a book in her hand.

  
“Hey Tori, somehow this wound up in my bag and I thought you might need it.” She stopped when she saw the distraught Hilly sitting on the bed. Chloe rushed over and put the book on my side table. She threw her arms around Hilly and I could see Hilly physically relax. I was a little angry that I wasn’t the one to calm her down. Before I could ask her to leave Hilly said,

  
“I guess it’s better that you showed up, the more that know the better,” She paused, “you see, I think I found my mate.”

  
We were all in a state of shock, and I won’t be ashamed to admit that my first thought was, ‘but I’m not even comfortable with one couple of love birds!’ I swear if I got a nickel for every stinking time Derek glared at me for just talking to Chloe I could hire an army and have them take down the Edison group themselves. A lot less stress for me. Honestly, he basically worships her and forgets that we are supposed to be fighting a war right now.

  
Of course, little miss perfect, Chloe had a much more sisterly approach to handling the situation.

  
“You’re kidding, this is great! oh, well we’ve got to tell Derek! He could educate you like he educated me on this topic.” She was getting pretty carried away with herself talking about how maybe the new guests knew some more about it then we did. Or how she wished there was a computer so we could read up more on werewolves and such. I decided to get us all back on track like the responsible big sister I am.

  
“Now, dear baby sister, who might be this boy be?” I put my long arm around her and pulled her close so I could whisper into her ear. I also did it to show Chloe that I wanted to be the one who really comforted and supported Hilly through this. Possessive? You bethcha, but Chloe knows all about that with her boyfriend ‘claiming’ her all the time. “Before you ask for his ‘mating hand’ or whatever he might need to go through a bit of, initiation.” I was only kidding obviously, I could care less who she loved I saw that in one of those movies that Chloe forces me to watch. But Hilly burst out laughing, she hunched herself over clutching at her sides, jeez, I didn't know that kind of reaction was an option for her. She’s honestly just like her brother in every way. All stoic and hard, never shows emotion unless it’s anger or content.

  
“Well considering what you two do to each other on a daily basis I would say he’s well beyond whatever you had planned for him.” She was still laughing her petite ass off and those were definitely tears misting her eyes. Chloe and I exchanged a look that showed that we had no idea what she was talking about and Hilly immediately stopped her outburst.

  
“You both really don’t know? I thought it was obvious…” Her voice trailed off and I could tell she was losing her confidence so I stepped in again. Chloe also tried to outstretch her hand to her best friend, but I shifted Hilly and I so we were only facing each other. Gosh, what is with me tonight? I’m acting like such a bitch, but I feel like I can honestly handle this situation better than Hilly can. I can kiss and make up with Chloe later.

  
“Just tell us who it is, I promise we will be there every step of the way.” Chloe gave me a thumbs up from behind Hilly’s back and I couldn’t help the smile that was creeping up my face. Even though I was being such a bitch Chloe still knew that I needed some support. Ok, maybe I should be a little nicer to little ol’ Chlo Chlo. I was so glad I did something right while trying to help someone! Chloe and I make a pretty good team, I guess.

  
“Well, it’s um, kinda,” She still didn't seem to be able to force the name from her throat so I gave her an encouraging smile. Chloe was busy examining the floor, but I could tell her ear was trained on our conversation.

  
“Hilly, I swear, I will not laugh.” This statement oddly put her at ease, and for the second time while sitting here she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Before she told us though, I wished she would’ve told us to sit down because when she gave me the big reveal I blacked out for a second.

  
“It’s Simon.”


End file.
